Mean or Misunderstood? Sisterhood in King Lear

This episode was a Sistory Untold first! We talked about three fictional women: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia in William Shakespeare's beloved tragedy, King Lear. The older sisters in this play are often portrayed as pure evil, but is that the case? We talk about that and so much more in this episode! We also talk about the legend that inspired Shakespeare's play, and compare the way these women were represented in other versions of the story that predate Shakespeare (the Bard was a big fan of stealing his ideas from other places).We also shared a lot of cool facts about women in Elizabethan England. Definitely have a listen to the podcast! Because this episode is our first about fictional women, we have fewer sources than usual, but we still think you'll find these interesting!

Sources:

"Struggling with the Past: Women's Theatre in Search of a History" in New Theater Quarterly by Susan Bassnett

The Education of English Gentlewomen 1540‐1640 in History of Education by Norma McMullen

"Women as Spectators, Spectacles, and Paying Customers" in Staging The Renaissance by Jean E. Howard

https://ed.fnal.gov/lincon/f97/projects/guildhall/guilds/women.html

https://www.yorku.ca/inpar/geoffrey_thompson.pdf

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-true-chronicle-history-of-king-leir-1605